Toothbrushes usually have several arrays in the presentation of the bristles, which form or define different surface types of brushing planes or “bristle surface,” such as: one level, two levels, various levels, curved, inclined, v-shaped inclined, saw-shaped or jagged, wavy.
Within manufacturing methods there are several types, among which are orthodontic toothbrushes wherein tufts, skeins, bundles or groups of bristles are placed cut at their terminal ends so that a V-shaped or saw-shaped brushing plane or bristle surface is established as described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,227.
Another manufacturing method includes tufts or bundles of straight bristles placed or inserted at different angulations with respect to the base area of the toothbrush head, thus providing crisscrossing of the bristles and several levels of bristle surface, as described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,322, AU 335167, PAJ-2010-179071, PAJ-2009-287861.
In the previous designs, although there are several levels of bristle surfaces, only a brushing plane is established, i.e., brushing is only performed in a single vector or direction, with the disadvantage of not being able to easily clean certain oral zones that are more difficult to access, particularly in the presence of orthodontic appliances, implants or prostheses, among others.
In another manufacturing method, orthodontic toothbrushes known as interdental brushes are presented, wherein tufts of bristles linked or braided by means of a wire are set on the base area of the toothbrush head, as described in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,772, US 2008/0109979, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,708. Such design departs completely from the present invention.
In another method of manufacturing, the base area of the toothbrush head for the insertion or placement of the bristle tufts is divided in three areas forming angles with respect to each other, providing three different base areas in the toothbrush head, in which tufts of straight bristles of different lengths are inserted, thereby obtaining three brushing planes or bristle surfaces in order to brush with greater efficiency the orthodontic brackets, as described in patents AU 311417, U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,118, US 2005/0108842, MX 22508.
The potential problem with such designs is that brushing of the gums or mucous membranes and interproximal or interdental areas becomes more complicated, and the toothbrush construction or manufacturing process may be more complex. Such designs depart from this invention.
In other orthodontic toothbrushes, as the one described in the US patent 2003/0131433, the tuft bristles in the central rows present a bend with a slight angulation of about 15° toward the center of the brush, which as reported by the patent, was designed to reduce the pressure required to deflect the bristles and so reduce the pressure exerted on the gums, and in order to exert less pressure on the brackets an to have greater durability.
The patent UKD 2063495, describes a toothbrush with a design similar to the aforementioned patent; near the insertion to the base area, the bristle tufts in the lateral rows are bent with a slight angulation of about 25° toward the central tufts, thus providing an inclination of the brushing plane or bristle surface, while retaining a U-shaped brushing plane, or with a concave curvature. In some other designs of toothbrushes, this angulation given to the bristles in order to provide inclinations to the brushing plane is replaced by the placing of conventional straight bristles with an inclination or angulation with respect to the base area of bristle insertion.
The designs covered by the patents US 2003/0131433 and UKD 2063495 are the ones more closely approaching to the present invention, as they have tufts of straight bristles alternating with tufts of bent bristles, one toothbrush in its rows of central tufts, and the other one in its rows of lateral tufts. However, these patents depart from this invention since they preserve a single surface of the brushing plane or bristle surface, that is, an additional brushing plane or bristle surface is not established as in the present invention, that additional plane being relevant for the proper cleaning of the oral cavity in the presence of orthodontic appliances, implants or prostheses.